Antibiotics have been a critical public health tool since the discovery of penicillin in 1928. Today, however, the emergence of drug resistance in bacteria is reversing the miracles of the past eighty years, with drug choices for the treatment of many bacterial infections becoming increasingly limited, expensive and, in some cases, nonexistent.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that drug-resistant bacteria cause two million illnesses and approximately 23,000 deaths each year in the U.S. alone.

The National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria outlines steps for implementing the National Strategy for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and addressing the policy recommendations of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).

Although its primary purpose is to guide activities by the U.S. Government, the National Action Plan is also designed to guide action by public health, healthcare and veterinary partners in a common effort to address urgent and serious drug-resistant threats that affect people in the U.S. and around the world.

Goals of the National Action Plan

1. Slow the emergence of resistant bacteria and prevent the spread of resistant infections
2. Strengthen national One-Health surveillance efforts to combat resistance
3. Advance the development and use of rapid and innovative diagnostic tests for identification and characterization of resistant bacteria.
4. Accelerate basic and applied research and development for new antibiotics, other therapeutics and vaccines.
5. Improve International Collaboration and capacities for antibiotic-resistance prevention, surveillance, control and antibiotic research and development

Download the plan.

Contracted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), atom Alliance works with providers to focus on antimicrobial stewardship programs. Learn more.